Just had to do it...

I just had to post these long ago pics next to their current school picture! How sad that they grow up SSSOOO fast!

Halloween Past...

Happy Halloween! Halloween is a little sad this year! Jerrad stopped trick-or-treating years ago. That wasn't so bad cause Jacob still always went. Last Friday night Jacob told me he didn't want to trick-or-treat this year! WHAT!?!?! Yes, I was shocked. I thought he'd do it at least this year and that might be the last! Nope he's done! So, this year I have not cute pictures of the boys dressing up. There will be no Halloween page in the Hayes Family Scrapbook! I was so bummed I didn't even attempt the Pumpkin Patch (you know we go just so I can get pics for the scrapbook! lol). Sad times here. So, I thought I'd post some of the boys pictures of their costumes from years ago!

Jerrad (1995) - Halloween Outfit!

Jerrad (1995) - Pumpkin

Jerrad (1996) - Mickey Mouse

Jerrad (1997) - Woody

Jacob (1997) - Clown

Jerrad (1998) - Race Car Driver
Jacob (1998) - Pumpkin

Jerrad (1999) - Jeff Gordon #24

Jerrad & Jacob (1999) - Jeff Gordon #24 & Blues Clues

Jerrad (2000) - Augumon (don't ask - I have no idea!)

Jacob (2000) - Dipsy

Jerrad (2001) - The Crocodile Hunter

Jacob (2001) - Bob the Builder

My Freshman...

Scrapbooking...

I love to scrapbook. I am not the best...by a very LLLOOONNNGGG shot! I enjoy it but I'm not real creative. Once in a while I do have a "moment" and create a page I absolutely love. I think I started doing it a little in 2003. I just started with some basics that I'd gotten as a gift. It has grown from there! I've learned tons from friends and looking at magazines and such. When I started I was doing a family book. Then I thought I'd do a book for each of the boys with just their sports pictures in it. Well, who are we kidding...they won't play sports forever! That's not enough to fill up a book. So, I thought I'd go back and include school pics. Just the class picture for each year and any party pics or awards I had. Well, for Jacob all of those pics are done and in my big album. Not a prob...take them out and put them in another album. I only had 2 pics that I'm going to have to have pics printed again and create two new pages. Those where first day of school pics that I only did one page for the two boys! I wasn't thinking! I was trying to figure out how to color copy a 12 x 12 page or use undo to separate them. I was asking a friend about it and she suggested to print the pics again and do another page! WOW! Wish I'd thought of that (thanks Andrea!). All in all the whole process of switching everything has gone fairly smooth. Jerrad's book looks a little rough in the beginning. First reason for that...I sucked! Friends, it is so sad what I considered to be "scrapbooking". OH MY! I am horrified for anyone to see what I did! You definitely can tell I improved just by looking through his book. Second reason...I was a beginner...didn't know what I was doing. The very first book I purchased was one of those with straps! Yes, I know...not smart...again! Wait it gets better. When I began I didn't do my layout on a page. Oh no that would've been smart! I put it right on the page in the book. Yep, I did! Now if you've used or picked up one of these strap type albums you know that each side has metal. That the only way I know to describe it. Anyway...just a big mess. So, in order to make this new idea work I took a razor blade and cut the metal edges of both sides of the pages. So, along with the first pages being really, really bad...they are a little small inside of the sheet protectors! Oh well...it will just have to do for now! I can't redo all of it! I'm going to say it was a learning experience...lol...yea right!

Jacob...

September 2008 - 6th Grade Picture
September 2008 - 6th Grade Football - Mavericks
Arlington Optimist Club

My butt hurts...

seriously! It really hurts. If I had fallen lately I would think my tail bone is broken! As graceful as I am I have not fallen (no, Kristy, the fall in the cafeteria doesn't count! lol). I know why it hurts. Let me explain. Have you ever sat on metal bleachers for a long time? Long time being, lets say about 6 hours give or take a few minutes?!?!? Well, if you haven't let me tell you that is long enough to make your butt sore! Whats the reason for this madness?!?! Well, Jerrad is playing Fall baseball. Every Saturday for the last 6 or 7 weeks they've played a double header! Saturdays have been very LLLOOONNNGGG! They have to be there one hour early and they play approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes or 7 innings each game! See your butt would hurt too!

Choir Concert...

Who is this kid? He has grown up so fast! Last night was Martin's Fall Concert. I must say....pretty impressive! Everything at Martin is BIG. Including a choir concert! Everyone was dress in black! ALL the boys had black tuxes. I thought the whole wearing the tux deal was a little much til seeing the concert! It looked nice! Everyone had exactly the same tux, same shirt, same tie, etc! It made them look very professional (if choir can be)! I am still adjusting to the fact he is in high school! I keep waiting for all the terrible teenager issues to come up! Suprisingly...nothing yet...as I knock on wood! He is growing into a very responsible young man! I am still amazed at the fact he gets himself up every morning, gets ready, eats breakfast, has time to surf the internet a little and goes out the door at 6:40 for the bus. He does his laundry when it needs to be done. Gets all his homework taken care of. He really manages his time well for a 14 year old. I think! Who are we kidding he takes after me! Sort of! lol I know all this could blow up and he turn into the EVIL TEENAGER! But for right now I am going to enjoy this!

What's been going on?!?!?!

I've been told I need to update my blog (thanks Kristy!). I didn't think I really had anything to blog about but I guess I sort of do! I mentioned in one of my posts that I was training for a new job and how its been so busy around here and Steve's had to help get the kids around. Well, I finished training on Oct. 2nd. Was very nervous about starting to take live calls. When I say nervous I mean very nervous, very preoccupied with it. Which only got worse. I started my first shift Saturday night. My worst fear came true. My very first call was a total nightmare! On top of that I had computer problems. I won't go into lots of details here but I was just freaked out! I was off Sunday. Had to work on Monday. I was so nervous and scared. Once again computer problems to top off all the other feelings I was having. Got those fixed....finally. Finished my shift. Tuesday....I am sick to my stomach. Wasn't sure if I had a bug or it was the job. Couldn't get the job out of my mind. Its the oddest feeling I'd ever experienced. I didn't like it. This could be a really long, long story but the short of it all is Steve didn't like the way I was acting, I didn't like how I was, I'm missing all the kids stuff at night, etc., etc, and its was the hardest most complex thing I've ever done. Its not just people calling in to get their balance or pay over the phone. I knew they could call in for all kinds of things from what we were taught in training but each account was different. It was not cut and dry simple! No! Every situation had a twist and there were all these reason codes and of course we were told where to look those up but you don't have to memorize them or study you just look it up. There was just lots of stuff. Its just not for me! I'm not thick skinned enough either for the rude customers. I hadn't talked to mom since I started so I called her yesterday morning and started getting upset. Then Steve had called and I called him back and cried and cried! I couldn't keep doing it! He told me to quit it was no big deal but he'd rather I be back to normal than be all moody and yucky like I had been! So, yesterday afternoon I sent the email telling the Lead that I was quitting! I'm done with that! After that I totally felt better. The sick feeling went away! All those thoughts that where in my head went away! I just feel 100% better knowing I don't have to get on the phone and take those calls. I feel better knowing that I can see the rest of Jacob's football games and not have to miss any of Jerrad's baseball games! I just feel very relieved!